Today is World Gorilla Day!

It’s #WorldGorillaDay! Celebrated on September 24 each year – the anniversary of the founding of Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda – World Gorilla Day creates the opportunity for people around the globe to celebrate these magnificent gentle giants. Though their numbers are increasing, mountain gorillas remain critically endangered – but YOU can help! Extinction is not reversible, but it is preventable. Together we can keep the planet’s last wild gorillas safe.

CELEBRATING WORLD GORILLA DAY IN RWANDA
Conservation does not happen in isolation. We know from our 50+ year history at Karisoke Research Center that conservation only happens when individuals join with organizations to protect and save vulnerable species so that we can all thrive together! It’s why our holistic model focuses on: daily gorilla protection, scientific research, educating the next generation of conservationists, and helping communities.

Each year the Fossey Fund’s environmental education activities reach more than 6,000 elementary school children! Schools in both Rwanda and the DRC celebrated World Gorilla Day today by learning about the different species of gorillas, where they live in the world, how many are left in the wild, and the importance of keeping gorillas and other endangered wildlife safe. The students even tried on a “gorilla suit” to see how big a silver back gorilla’s clothes would be…if gorillas wore clothes, of course!

No matter where we live, and no matter our ages, we ALL have the ability to make a positive difference in this world – for the gorillas, other endangered wildlife, and for one another.

You can learn more about gorillas, download coloring pages and other activities, and even listen to a gorilla chest beat by visiting our website!

ADOPT DIGIT
Named as one of Time Magazine’s 15 most influential animals to ever live, silver back Digit was Dian Fossey‘s favorite mountain gorilla, and they shared a special bond. In 1977, Digit was brutally murdered by poachers – a story made famous by the film Gorillas in the Mist. Dian often referred to him as her “beloved Digit,” and it is in his memory that she founded the Digit Fund for gorilla protection. After her own murder in 1985, Dian was buried in the forest next to her favorite great ape and their legacy lives on through our work today.

Today only Digit can be symbolically adopted for just $24. Proceeds from adoptions directly fund daily gorilla protection efforts in the field. Keep Dian’s legacy alive by symbolically adopting her favorite gorilla today!

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